What is described as proprietary?

Proprietary refers to something that is owned by a specific individual or organization, granting them exclusive legal rights. This often includes inventions, processes, designs, or any creations that are protected under intellectual property laws, such as patents, copyrights, or trademarks. When a creation is proprietary, it means that no one else can use, reproduce, or sell that creation without permission from the owner. This exclusivity is essential for businesses as it can provide a competitive advantage and protect their investments in development and innovation.

The other options describe concepts that lack exclusivity; for example, a shared company resource indicates open access among employees, an idea developed collaboratively suggests joint ownership or shared thought, and a widely known public method implies that the information is available for anyone to use without restrictions. These do not capture the essence of being proprietary, which is fundamentally about ownership and control.